Ditch check



May 2l, 1929. T M, JONES 1,713,605

DITCH CHECK Filed Freb. 21, 1927 T/wmg/zea flvwentoz anew/mug f,

Patented May 2l, 1929.

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A'rmmas M. JONES, or GARDEN crry, KANSAS.

DITCH CHECK.

Application ined February '21, i927. serial No. 169,944.

This invention relates to a check'designed for use in connection withirrigating ditches. Various means have been devised heretofore forchecking the water in ditches at desired 5 points. Among these have beengates having their ends embedded in the sides of the ditch andupstanding side members having gates mounted therein lin differentyWays. The means heretofore employed have been objectionable, however,because ofthe flow of the Water over and against the checks or gates hastended to wash away the soil atvthe ybottoms and sides of the'checkswith the result that it has been difficult and almost impossible toretain thewater at the points where the checks are located. The meansthus far employed for holdin the water in check have also beenobjectionagle because, when machines have been moved along the ditchesfor thepurpose of cleaning them out, they have frequently dislodged thechecks, thereby necessitating the expenditure of considerable time andlabor inresetting the parts.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a check which can bepermanently set across a ditch and will not permit undesirable leakageof water.

A further object is to provide a check which will not interfere with theproper movement of a machine along the Aditch used for cleaning out theditch, the parts of the check being arranged at such angles as todeflect any portions of the machine that might come into contacttherewith and prevent them from becoming caught on the check.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, t-he invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred forms of the invention havebeen shown.

In said drawings,

Figure l is a plan view of a portion of an irrigating ditch havingarranged thereacross a check such as constitutes the present invention.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2 2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3 3, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a transverse section through a slightly modified formofcheck.

F1 ure 5 is a perspective view of the modified orm of check, thesections thereof being shown separated.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference A designates an irriatingditch produced in the usual way and at any .desired point or pointsa check such asV constitutes the present invention is placed inposition. In the form illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 inclusivethe checkis molded in a single piece of concrete and includes aebase slab l andupwardly divergingside Slabs 2, .these slabs all being integral. Thebase slab 1s arranged with its upper surface below the level of thebottom of' the ditch as will be seen by referring particularly to Figure2. The sides of the check are inclined .at substantially the same angleas the sides of the ditch and the upwardly extending edges of each sidepanel 2 converge as shown'at 3. The front or water receiving side ofthel check constitutes an abutment for the end portion of superposedslats4 constitutin the gate portion of the check, these slats eingsupported in an inclined plane as shown so that n no special fasteningmeans are required inv order to hold them in' position inasmuch as theslats are held pressed againstthe sides of thc check by water pressure.These slats can be of wood, metal, or any other suitable material. Inpractice it is intended to mold the check in one piece by arranging asuitable form transversely of the ditch in proper position relative tobottom and side recesses formed in the ditch. The concret-e. is thenpoured into the mold and when set willpro-Y vide a complete one-piececheck extending along the bottom and up the sides of the ditch. Ifpreferred, however, the check can be made of slabs which are separate.This modified arrangement has been illustrated in Figures 4 and 5wherein the bottom slab is molded in one piece as shown at 5 while theside slabs are in separate pieces as shown at 6. When these slabs areassembled the bottom slab is arranged between and abuts against thelower edges of the side slabs as shown in Figure 4. In other respects,however, the check constituting this modified structure is the same asthe'one `heretofore described.

In practice the checks are arranged at desired distances apart along theirrigating water will be free tolflow over the gate 4 and continue alongthe ditch to the gate at the next check. Thus irrigation of a secondsection of the land can begin prior to the Completion of the irrigationof the first section. yFollowing'this operation the remainder of thefirst gate can be. removed and the second gate can be built up to fullheight untilirrigation of the second sectionl ofthe land has beenpartially completed whereupon the operation already described isrepeated.

By providing the concrete bottom for the check,V the Water pouringoverthe gate will come incontacttherewith and then flow gen tly off ofthebottom slab into the ditch. Thus there is no danger of the bottom ot theditch being Worn away by the flow of Water Where it pours onto thecheck. n Instead all of the yerosion Will be cared for by the check andthe ditch Willremain intact. Furthermore,

as the ends ot'thegate bear against the side Y panels there is no.danger of the Water working aroundsaid ends and into the check and thusleaking past the gate.

As has already been pointed out the checks can be molded at the pointsWhere they are to be used or, if preferred, Where asectional check isused the different panels can be molded Where sand and other materialsare available and can thereafter be conveyed to the points of use andquickly'set up.

lVhile it is intended generally to form the check of concrete molded toproper form, it isvto be Vunderstood that any other suitable materialscan be used provided they meet therequirements.` f

lVhat-isclaimed is: l

A check for irrigating ditches including molded sides' having upwardlyconverging edges,said sides diverging upwardly to conform substantiallyto the slope of the sides ofthe ditch, a molded bottom extendingthroughout the Width of the ditch and throughout the Width of the bottomportions of the sides,y and a gate formed of separate superposedsections extending` transversely ofthe structure and adapted to besupported by the bottom of the ditch and to be maintained bygravityagainst the v11p-stream side edges of the sides of the check, theupper edge of the gate overhangingthe bottom of the check thereby todirect onto saidbottom all Water flowing over the gate.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I yhave heretoaflixed my signature.y

rTHoMAs M. JoNiis

